Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority agrees 2.99% council tax rise and its Chair Cllr Dave Hanratty announces he will be stepping down in May 2018

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority agrees 2.99% council tax rise and its Chair Cllr Dave Hanratty announces he will be stepping down in May 2018

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority agrees 2.99% council tax rise and its Chair Cllr Dave Hanratty announces he will be stepping down in May 2018

                                          

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Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (Budget Meeting) 22nd February 2018 Part 1 of 2

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Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (Budget Meeting) 22nd February 2018 Part 2 of 2

Cllr Dave Hanratty (Chair, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority) 22nd February 2018
Cllr Dave Hanratty (Chair, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority) 22nd February 2018

The author of this piece declares an interest as I am married to a person liable for council tax in the Merseyside area. I also declare an interest as the future closure of Upton Fire Station will lengthen response times to the area I live in. The piece was possible because of a collaboration with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ).


At yesterday’s public meeting of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, after approving a 2.99%* council tax rise for 2018-19, the Chair Councillor Dave Hanratty announced that he would not be seeking re-election as a Liverpool City Council councillor in May 2018.
Continue reading “Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority agrees 2.99% council tax rise and its Chair Cllr Dave Hanratty announces he will be stepping down in May 2018”

So what happened each month in 2017?

So what happened each month in 2017?

So what happened each month in 2017?

                                    

Cllr Phil Davies on Hoylake Golf Resort at Hoylake Community Centre 9th December 2017
Cllr Phil Davies on Hoylake Golf Resort at Hoylake Community Centre 9th December 2017

2017 was such a newsworthy year it’s hard to know where to start.

January

The year started with councillors on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority furious over the refusal of planning permission for a new fire station in Saughall Massie.
Continue reading “So what happened each month in 2017?”

Councillors asked for further £600,000 towards fire station at Saughall Massie

Councillors asked for further £600,000 towards fire station at Saughall Massie

Councillors asked for further £600,000 towards fire station at Saughall Massie

                                    

Planning Committee site visit to land off Saughall Massie Road 13th December 2016 Left Cllr Steve Foulkes Right Cllr Anita Leech Chair
Planning Committee site visit to land off Saughall Massie Road 13th December 2016 Left Cllr Steve Foulkes (Vice-Chair) Right Cllr Anita Leech (Chair)

Councillors on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority will be asked next week to agree to a further £600,000 for a new fire station at Saughall Massie. The government’s contribution to the project has been increased from £1.5 million to £2.086 million.
Continue reading “Councillors asked for further £600,000 towards fire station at Saughall Massie”

How was the planning application (APP/17/00306) for a fire station in Saughall Massie decided?

How was the planning application (APP/17/00306) for a fire station in Saughall Massie decided?

How was the planning application (APP/17/00306) for a fire station in Saughall Massie decided?

Wirral Council’s Planning Committee 20th July 2017 voting to approve planning application APP/17/00306 (Saughall Massie fire station)
Wirral Council’s Planning Committee 20th July 2017 voting to approve planning application APP/17/00306 (Saughall Massie fire station)

Edited 21.7.17 by JB to include contact details of National Planning Casework Unit and video clip part 2

Edited 23.7.17 by JB to include video clips part 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

Edited 24.7.17 by JB to include video clips 8, 9 and 10

Edited 26.7.17 by JB to include published video clips

Yesterday evening a large number of people waited in the Civic Hall for Wirral Council’s Planning Committee’s decision on planning application APP/17/00306 (for a fire station with a training tower, drill yard and car park on Wirral Council owned land in Saughall Massie in the greenbelt).

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Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 21st July 2017 Part 1 of 17

Continue reading “How was the planning application (APP/17/00306) for a fire station in Saughall Massie decided?”

Why have Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service submitted a 2nd planning application for a Saughall Massie fire station?

Why have Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service submitted a 2nd planning application for a Saughall Massie fire station?

Why have Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service submitted a 2nd planning application for a Saughall Massie fire station?

                                     

Cllr Dave Hanratty (on the right) and his posse 20th October 2015
Cllr Dave Hanratty (on the right) and his posse 20th October 2015

A stranger rides in to Wirral Town in a thrilling Wild West tale about gold, greed, horses, the law and a land grab was the tale of how the pony club were turfed out of Moreton by Phil Davies and his gang. It was described as “this is not an appropriate action for a Local Authority landlord to take”, “accusation of dishonesty”, “gnawed at his professional conscience” and “unfortunate sequence of events” in an independent report (which has since mysteriously vanished) as to how the landlord had behaved.

However, Dave Hanratty and his posse were not taking no for an answer from Phil Davies’ gang this time!

So Dave Hanratty’s men submitted another planning application for the fire station at Saughall Massie.

In case you didn’t know already, Dave Hanratty and his posse had been defeated the first time around by Chris Blakeley (who was in a rival gang).

Just in case, Wirral Council didn’t get the message, this was backed up with £300,000 for Wirral Council for the land if it was approved.

The £300,000 for the land had been approved by Wirral Council councillors on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority that were also on Wirral Council’s Planning Committee. The Planning Committee would decide which way the planning application was decided.

Of course, in the cosy world of politics, this was neither a conflict of interest that councillors had failed to make, nor a bribe, nor anything really that the public should know about as Dave Hanratty’s gang started going “Shhh!” whenever these matters were brought up.

In fact the public wouldn’t have known, except a brave and a squaw from the nearest reservation had made sure the public were told.

Had Dave Hanratty and his gang been foolish enough to not be diplomatic? Had lies been told to get the answers they wanted?

Dave Hanratty and his posse had had plenty of opportunity to turn back, but instead when the icebergs were spotted, he had given the order, “Full speed ahead!”.

Who will choose the lifeboats? Who will choose the violin? Keep watching over the next months to find out the thrilling end to this story!

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